Despite their assurances that Metro is becoming more reliable, WMATA says electrical arcing incidents have more than doubled since last summer. Arcing is a big safety concern because it can lead to track fires. (Martine Powers / Post)

WMATA didn't give riders advance notice about speed restrictions at the western end of the Orange, Blue and Silver lines on October 23, causing significant delays during the morning commute. (Martine Powers / Post)

Uber is will bring 25 full-time positions when it opens its first DC support center at the East River Park Shopping Center in Northeast near Benning Road Metro stop next spring. Uber employs roughly 45,000 people in the Washington region. (Christina Sturdivant / DCist)

The Scajaquada Expressway in Buffalo, New York, is the symbolic of everything wrong with mid-century, auto-centric infrastructure: it's a blight, it bisects the city, and it's dangerous. Now that it's approaching the end of its life, its fate is unclear. (Steven Kurutz / NYT)

The city has suggested possible locations spread across all four quadrants that could host Amazon's second headquarters. The common theme: the required 8 million square feet of office space would be split up among multiple buildings. (Jonathan O’Connell / Post)

The National Zoo has been given permission to move forward on plans for a new 1,119-unit, 5-story parking garage. It will replace an existing surface lot, and the hope is that it will mitigate some of the parking that has overflowed into the surrounding neighborhoods as visitation grown. (Grace Bird / Current)

Every day, Baltimore kids form a “walking school bus” and walk to and from school together by forming a single-file chain with their chaperones. It keeps kids safe and lets them get active at the same time. (Talia Richman / Post)

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board will decide within 90 days whether to issue a liquor license for Dacha's planned beer garden at 14th and S Streets NW. Residents and owners have sparred over plans for the second location, which would go atop a parking lot. (Rachel Chason / Post)

Rents decreased slightly in popular neighborhoods in Northwest, like Columbia Heights, Shaw, and Dupont Circle. They've increased in neighborhoods in the other three quadrants, like Capitol Hill. (Jon Banister / Bisnow)

Over the weekend, demonstrators in Southeast DC walked two miles from the only grocery store in Ward 8 to illustrate the reality that some residents experience in order to get groceries. (Sasha-Ann Simons / WAMU)

Phase II of the Washington Boulevard Trail in Arlington County will connect Columbia Pike to S. Walter Reed, where Phase I begins and connects to Arlington Blvd. Construction should start later this year. (WashCycle)

Even in a city known for its museums, the Museum of the Bible stands out. Set to open next month, a glimpse at the museum reveals high-tech exhibits, a massive footprint, and an attempt to be neutral on the Bible itself. (Post)

DC residents looking to improve their homes will be able to track their permits online by next fall. It's part of a push to give homeowners more information about the permit process. (Selena Simmons-Duffin / WAMU)

A fake protest over a bike lane in Minneapolis became real, and even drew in city council candidates. Nearly two dozen people marched (in the bike lane, it should be noted) against the painted stripes, some holding signs that said, “Nazi Lane.” (Angie Schmitt / StreetsBlog)

DDOT is preparing for increased traffic in Southwest as The Wharf gets ready for its grand opening. Signs will go up around the area letting drivers know what to expect, signals will be adjusted, and officers will be on site to manage traffic. (Mike Murillo / WTOP)

After the owners of an empty lot in Ward 8 asked permission to create a 20-foot curb to serve a future storage facility, community members decided it would better serve row homes or a multi-unit development. (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)

Members of the Montgomery County Council tried to push a $15 minimum wage law forward, agreeing to give businesses 2 more years to implement $15 minimum wage. The bill will go to the full council for a vote. (Rachel Siegel / The Post)

DC is encouraging city employees to e-hail taxi cabs to carry them between offices, and hopes to reduce its vehicle fleet and eliminate unnecessary spending. The Department of For-Hire Vehicles hopes it'll put some cash back into taxi drivers' pockets. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

As neighborhood walkability becomes more important to homebuyers, DC will need to keep developing. Building for walkability ensures a mechanism through which other neighborhood benefits might be realized. (David Charron / Post)

Did you notice that the Mt. Pleasant branch of DC Library was open on Columbus Day? A few DC libraries will now stay open during federal holidays, giving kids a place to go when they're out of school. (Richard Layman / Urban Places and Spaces)

If you notice the construction near Hotel Monaco on E Street NW, it's likely masons cutting marble to patch sections of damaged stone. The marble, from the same quarry that closed in the 1920s, was salvaged from homes and other buildings around the city. (John Kelly / Post)

Pittsburghers are now able to access the city's Healthy Rides bikeshare system using their ConnectCards (their equivalent of SmarTrip). Users can take unlimited 15-minute rides for free. (Angie Schmitt / StreetsBlog)

Prince George's County thinks it has a good shot at hosting Amazon's HQ2, and is doing everything it can to meet the October 19 proposal deadline. Among its assets are proximity to Metro and the University of Maryland, College Park. (Kyle Rempfer / Diamondback)

Unbothered by the threat of dockless competition, CaBi plans to spend over $5 million next year on more than 100 new stations, new bikes, and expansion into Prince George's County and Falls Church. (Luz Lazo / Post)

Last year's metro rider survey has revealed some interesting facts about commuters. Among the findings: the plurality of weekday metro commuters are from Maryland, and 52% of Metrobus riders are low income (vs. just 13% of metro riders). (Max Smith / WTOP)

Fairfax County has more than 100 unfunded transportation projects, and wants residents' help to prioritize them using a survey. The projects range from improvements to intersections to widening roads to include bike and pedestrian paths. (FABB)

Common (a company, not the rapper), which opened its first co-living space in Truxton Circle earlier this year, has plans to open a 14-bedroom building in Chinatown. Memberships start at $1,845 and include all rent and fees. (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)

The Wharf – a space a decade in the making – is opening on October 12, and there are four days of celebrations scheduled. This marks the completion of phase one of the massive project expected to enliven Southwest. (Rachel Sadon / DCist)

A woman in Ward 3 found an anti-Semitic flyer on her doorstep. It's the latest in incidents around the city, including anti-Semitic graffiti in Chinatown and Georgetown and fake flyers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Rachel Kurzius / DCist)

In June, disabled residents and patrons of a center for the blind near Rhode Island Avenue protested a dangerous crossing by blocking traffic. Now, DDOT is planning to add ramps and curb extensions to help residents cross the street. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

Over 4.2 million drivers in five states, including Virginia, have lost their licenses due to unpaid court fees, according to a new report. Only four states in the country assess whether drivers can pay court fees before revoking licenses. (Justin Wm. Moyer / The Post)

Some business owners in Georgetown say a bill that requires businesses that offer their employees free parking also offer the option to cash out the benefit would be a bureaucratic burden for small businesses. Council member Charles Allen took to Twitter to counter that some businesses support the bill. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU, Charles Allen / Twitter)

The Fair Housing Act has helped to slowly integrate neighborhoods since its passage in 1968. Now, it's time to address the zoning laws that contribute to the class divide, like those that prevent apartment buildings being constructed on single-family lots. (Richard D. Kahlenberg / NYT)

Although DC's uninsured rate is well below the national average due to Obamacare, the uninsured rate is disproportionately high among people of color, especially Latinx residents, of whom 11.1% were uninsured in 2016. (Jodi Kwarciany / DCFPI)

JPMorgan Chase is contributing $10 million to preserve the neighborhood around the 11th Street Bridge project, which activists hope to protect from gentrification and displacement. The money will go toward preserving affordable housing, among other things. (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)

Alexandria is running slightly ahead of schedule in replacing a water crossing with a low bridge on Holmes Run Trail. In March, Alexandria closed a section of the trail to remove a water crossing that was impassable when the water rose. (WashCycle)

Metro is working to fix persistent leaks in areas where bedrock is especially wet, like around the Bethesda and Medical Center stations. Leaks pool in the tracks and cause deterioration and smoke incidents. (Max Smith / WTOP)

Activists want a ballot measure on whether restaurants have to pay workers minimum wage. Right now, workers get a low wage and the difference between that and minimum wage is made up of tips. Businesses and lobbyists are challenging the move. (Martin Austermuhle / WAMU)

If Amazon put HQ2 in the DC area, it would bring in a significant number of new residents. Although speculation at this point, the housing market would respond to the influx, but home prices wouldn't change much. (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)

A flaw in the docking lock mechanism of Baltimore's bikeshare has left bikes vulnerable to thieves. So many bikes have been stolen or damaged that the operator has temporarily shut the system down. (Luz Lazo / Post)

Sheika Reid, a 26-year-old graduate of Howard University, is attempt to usurp Ward 1 council member Brianne Nadeau from her seat. Reid's campaign seeks to bridge the gap between millennial voters and local politics. ( Rachel Chason / Post)

There were four times as many noise complaints lodged against Dulles and National airport last year versus 2015. As in 2015, many complaints were from the same individuals, but a majority came from one-time-only complainers. (Rachel Kurzius / DCist)

The Church of Latter Day Saints may also be one of the country's largest real estate developers. Originally based on Joseph Smith's 1833 City of Zion plans, temple-centric real estate has now shifted to a more luxury retail model. (Scott Beyer / Market Urbanism Report)

]]>Tue, 19 Sep 2017 12:30:00 +0000Arego Mitchell (Contributor)Breakfast links: Is there light at the end of the tunnel for Metro funding?https://ggwash.org/view/64739/breakfast-links-is-there-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-for-metro-funding
https://ggwash.org/view/64739/breakfast-links-is-there-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-for-metro-funding

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan says the state will contribute $500 million in additional funding if DC, Virginia, and the federal government do the same. But will the legislature back it up? He recently said Maryland wouldn't help the cash-strapped Metro system. (Robert McCartney and Faiz Siddiqui / Post)

The first phase of the transformative Wharf project in Southwest is set to open in a month. The office space is already 60-70% leased, and around 900 new apartments and condos will bring nearly 2,000 residents to the development. (Jeff Clabaugh / WTOP)

During the first 7 months of the year, metro railcar reliability is up 50%, fire and smoke incidents are down by 20%, and, in August, trains were on time nearly 90% of the time. Will this good news help bring back riders? (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

Changes to inclusionary zoning should make it easier for lower-income residents to take advantage of the program. One notable change is the lowering of the affordability threshold from 80% to 60% of median family income. (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)

Though there hasn't been a huge emigration of feds, it looks like more have left in the first months of the Trump administration than in those of his predecessors. The agencies logging most departures were Departments of Energy, Justice, and the Interior. (Jeremy Singer-Vine / Buzzfeed)

In light of an big hurricane season, it's good to know what your homeowners' insurance does and does not cover. For example, most general policies don't cover flooding. Also not generally covered: war or nuclear disasters. (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)

In the Netherlands, jaywalking is neither illegal nor discouraged, mostly because both pedestrians and motorists are aware of each other at all times and the streets are designed to accommodate crossing in the middle. (Angie Schmitt / Streetsblog)

Residents in 2,700 low-cost apartments in Alexandria's West End fear higher rent or eviction after their buildings get a new owner. The new owner eventually plans to update the buildings and surrounding grounds but has no timetable for the changes. (Patricia Sullivan / Post)

To build the Purple Line, the Georgetown Branch Trail will close for the next five years. When it reopens it will look drastically different; the closure and changes are prompting a lot of reminiscing - and anger. (Antonio Olivo / Post)

DC cab drivers have an extra two months to switch to technology that allows mobile payment. This comes just a few years after a regulation requiring costly upgrades to allow credit card payments. The companies processing payments now are not pleased about the change. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

While maintaining all 180 days of classroom instruction, Maryland public schools have extended summer break by a week. A big reason for that is the boon that the summer season provides to the state economy. (Petula Dvorak / Post)

Two unused dorms on Howard University's campus, Carver and Slowe Halls, will be developed into studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom apartments. Developers say they don't have to provide any lower-income apartments as they are not adding units. (Karen Goff / WBJ)

Over 70 startups in China maintain dockless bikeshare systems, and the results have been mixed. Although the idea could become a huge export for the country, residents inundated by vandalized, discarded, or otherwise inconveniently-placed bikes are struggling to adjust. (Javier C. Hernández / NYT)

DC's food stamp program has repeatedly left the city's hungry without assistance, since transitioning to a new computer system against the advice of the federal government almost a year ago. (Ann E. Marimow / Post)

More than 50% of CaBi members make over $100,000 a year and 80% are white, according to Capital Bikeshare's 2016 member survey report. The report also indicated that the presence of bikes and stations helped spread awareness of bikeshare. (Capital Bikeshare)

Work has officially begun on segments two and three of the Beach Drive rehab project, which means it is closed to vehicles from Tiden Street/Park Road NW to Joyce Road NW. It remains open to cyclists and pedestrians. (Rachel Sadon / DCist)

On Monday, GGWash included a link to a Petworth News piece explaining neighborhood annoyance that the Department of Parks and Recreation had failed to ask for input on a new park. DPR has now addressed some of those neighbors' concerns. (Yulia Panfil / Petworth News)

Storm water management is a reality of urban life, and designing for the worst case scenario (like what's happening in Houston) is a challenge. But cities that hope to weather these kinds of storms have to invest in infrastructure that will protect against damage. (Ian Bogost / Atlantic)

After much deliberation, Uber has chosen Dara Khosrowshahi to be its next CEO. He is the former CEO of Expedia. Previous CEO Travis Kalanick resigned in June after a series of highly public scandals (click here for a full timeline). (Emma Bowman / WAMU)

After months of litigation put the Purple Line's funding in doubt, officials finally confirmed the project will get $900 million in federal funding. The Trump administration hopes to use the Purple Line to showcase the value of public-private partnerships. (Robert McCartney and Faiz Siddiqui / Post)

After Monday's eclipse, stargazers who had traveled to hotspots over the weekend began to return home in droves. The celestial occasion left a lot of traffic in its wake–and Google Maps shows it all. (Benjamin Schneider / CityLab)

Greenbelt, MD, was part of an experimental community planning concept that arose from the Great Depression. Decades after the project was abandoned, many residents still live in the communal tradition in which it was founded. (Kai Ryssdal and Emily Henderson / Marketplace)

Some teenagers decked out in MAGA gear wandered on to the Howard University campus and got an earful from the community. After the youths complained, the university stood by its students. (Christina Sturdivant / DCist)

Even if Elon Musk's dream of a super-fast train connecting DC and NYC in 29 minutes becomes reality, history suggests that commuters won't use it to shorten their commute time, but rather to move further away. (Emily Badger / NYT)

District teachers will receive a 9% increase in salary over the next three years. Negotiations have been ongoing since the last contract expired in 2012. The contract still has to be approved by union members the D.C. Council. (Post)

Many of the taxi drivers who accepted DC incentives to switch to 100% electric vehicles are feeling fleeced, saying the city's lack of charging stations costs them time and money. And only about a third have received the $10,000 grant they were promised. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

Dump no more! The White House is currently getting a new HVAC system, some new outdoor stairs, new carpet, new paint, and more. These photos show a rarely seen side of the White House. (Rachel Sadon / DCist)

When the owners of Town Danceboutique announced its impending closure, they received an outpouring of support from DC's LGBTQ community. The space was open for 10 years, and although they also own two other bars, Number Nine and Trade, the partners are hinting at a new project. (Andrew Giambrone / City Paper)

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said that Confederate statues, including one of Roger Taney, a Supreme Court Justice who ruled that African-Americans could not be citizens, would be relocated from the city, and that she is waiting for cost estimates. (Luke Broadwater / Baltimore Sun)

The tap water looks brown in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, but experts say it is still safe to drink and that it is caused by high levels of manganese, which does not pose a risk but creates the color when there isn't enough chlorine to dilute it. (Martin Well / The Post)

Years after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to install a congestion tax fell apart, Governor Andrew Cuomo is looking to the idea as he considers ways of raising funds for the city's beleaguered subway system. (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)

Track inspectors are struggling to work effectively and efficiently a year after faulty rail ties were found to be responsible for a derailment on the silver line. The incident resulted in the firing of 21 track department personnel. (Martine Powers / Post)

A “driverless” vehicle was spotted in Arlington except… there was a driver, and he was disguised as a car seat. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling kids at NBC Washington. (Julie Carey and David Culver / NBCWashington)

A District plan to offer compost pickup services could lead to an 80% reduction in city waste production by 2032. The first step is securing a site where the organic waste could be processed. (Perry Stein / Post)

Another bridge connecting Virginia and Maryland could be the next step toward the decades-old dream of an Outer Beltway. Northern Virginia businesses and AAA love the idea, but smarter growth advocates and Maryland are not into it. (Stephen Miller / StreetsBlog)

New York City's MTA consistently runs fewer trains than it claims to, even during off-peak hours. Part of the problem: 1930s era signals that prevent trains from running too closely together. Upgrading could take 50 years and billions of dollars. (NYT)

San Francisco auctioned off a private street after its owners neglected to pay property taxes for 30 years, and now the rich people who live on that street are pretty mad. The new owners are considering instituting a parking fee. (Adam Brinklow / Curbed)

AMC has decided against replacing the iconic sign on the Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park, after a raucous community backlash. Activists say that if AMC had asked the Historic Preservation Board, the sign would have likely been removed. (Martin Austermuhle / WAMU)

The Circulator will debut 26 new buses in its fleet Tuesday, slowly replacing older buses. In 2015, a report revealed that 95% of the fleet had safety-related issues, and the system has struggled to meet its 80% on-time goal. (Christina Sturdivant / DCist)

The First Street Tunnel was completed last October as a means of alleviating flooding in Bloomingdale and the flow of untreated storm runoff into local rivers. Last weekend, it stored more than 500,000 gallons of rain water and sewage. (Martin Austermuhle / WAMU)

There are still five gaps in the Metropolitan Branch Trail, and the biggest one is in DC near Bates Road NE. Efforts to close that gap are underway and construction on Phase I of the plan should finish in 2019. (WashCycle)

After a test run proved that Grant Circle couldn't handle the loss of a lane, DDOT is no longer planning to do so. Sherman Circle, however, can accommodate a lane closure. The agency is proposing changes to both circles to increase accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists. (Petworth News)

As luxury housing ages, it moves down market and becomes affordable. This happens in the DC region and all around the country. It's not building any housing, or building it too slowly, that fuels housing crises. (Joe Cortright / City Observatory)

DC United's primary owner says he is looking for additional investors in the team, but isn't interested in selling the team. Last year, the District threw in $150 million to help purchase land and construct a new $300 million stadium for the team. (Steven Goff / Post)

There are more than 450,000 daily bike trips in the city, showing that cycling in New York City is no longer an activity reserved solely for the brave. Cycling has increased over the last 10 years, faster than population growth. (Winnie Hu / NY Times)

David Horner and Steve McMillin, whose expertise is in finance and budget, will join the WMATA board and replace Carol Carmody and David Strickland, whose expertise was in safety. Carmody was about to lead the safety committee, but it isn't clear who will lead it now. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

For the second month in a row, over 90 percent of metro trains arrived within 5 minutes of their scheduled times. Still, riders seem split on whether the system is markedly better after the intensive year-long SafeTrack program. (Andrew Grant / Post)

So far, it's been difficult for autonomous vehicles to detect and predict. Engineers hope that outfitting bicycles with new technology will help them communicate with the vehicles and help them learn. (Margaret J. Krauss / WAMU)

BWI has spent years investing in infrastructure and amenities to attract customers and airline routes, and it's finally paying off. After a $500 million capital improvement operation, it's flying 25.1 million passengers per year, making it the region's busiest airport. (Luz Lazo / Post)

A memorial to Confederate soldiers that's been outside the Rockville courthouse for a century was quietly moved to a privately-run ferry over the weekend. The statue was criticized for only memorializing Confederates from Montgomery County and not Union soldiers or abolitionists. (Bill Turque / Post)

Think a 45 minute morning trip on the beleaguered Red Line is bad? Try spending two hours in cars, trains, and ferries to commute into Manhattan. As the nature of the workplace changes, so too do the commuting habits of employees. (Bryan Miller / NYT)

Atlanta's Beltline project is halfway done, but has delivered less than 15% of the affordable housing it promised when the project began. Two board members have resigned over a perceived lack of commitment to affordability. (Leah Binkovitz / Urban Edge)

Citing a need for security and the administrative burden of securing the river on an ad-hoc basis, the Coast Guard has proposed implementing a permanent security zone along the part of the Potomac that passes the Trump National Golf Club. (Rachel Sadon / DCist)

Metro refunded nearly $1.1 million in fares to riders who exit from the same station they enter without boarding a train since the program started last July. The refunds were issued for fewer than 1% of total trips. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

High priced coffee shops, like the famous Blue Bottle Coffee (now open!), are becoming more prevalent. Petula Dvorak considers how these changes affect other businesses that aren't focused on trendy and exclusive new things. (Petula Dvorak / Post)

Over the past 15 years, the rich have gotten richer while the poor have gotten poorer and the middle class has stagnated. But in DC the middle class has seen some gains, and DC’s minimum wage and tax policies may have helped lower income residents gain income faster, too. (Yi Geng / District, Measured)

Windows and appliances at the Northwest Park Apartments in Silver Spring are being replaced after Montgomery County found numerous building violations that caused mold. Residents were able to organize and complain with the help of local advocacy groups. (Sasha-Ann Simons / WAMU)

Half of the nation's top 10 richest counties are in the DC suburbs. Loudoun comes in first with a nearly $126,000 average household income. Fairfax County, which comes in at number 3, was the first county in the US to reach a six-figure median household income. (Christina Sturdivant / DCist)

Commuters who take public transit to their jobs in big cities tend to be wealthier than their counterparts in similar neighborhoods who drive. Why? Access to public transit helps workers get to highly concentrated jobs in downtown cores. (Daniel Hertz / City Observatory)

A number of studies suggest that Latinos and Latinas enjoy social bike riding more than any other group. Could wider, more accommodating bike lanes be a way of making cycling more accessible to people of color? (Michael Andersen / StreetsBlog)

A bill passed by the California state senate last month could make it more difficult for cities and community groups from interfering in development projects. California's notorious housing shortage is complicated by the sway those groups have. (Adam Nagourney and Conor Dougherty / NYT)

]]>Tue, 18 Jul 2017 12:40:00 +0000Arego Mitchell (Contributor)Breakfast links: The truth is out there (but a new home for the FBI is not)https://ggwash.org/view/64046/breakfast-links-the-fbi-isnt-moving-from-dc-anytime-soon
https://ggwash.org/view/64046/breakfast-links-the-fbi-isnt-moving-from-dc-anytime-soon

A lack of congressional funding has brought the years-long, multi-million-dollar project to a screeching halt as the General Services Administration ends its search for a new headquarters location. Employees will continue dealing with the dilapidated Hoover building. (Daniel J. Sernovitz / WBJ)

Community members are once again floating the idea of a second bridge connecting Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, citing notorious congestion. Critics say money would be better spent fixing existing infrastructure. (Bill Turque / Post)

In cities where shoppers have to pay a bag fee, use of plastic bags has gone down. What if we did the same for carbon emissions, charging a few cents for every pound of carbon caused by driving?Would it change behavior and push people toward bikes or transit? (Joe Cortright / CityObservatory)

Plans for a new bridge over the Patuxent River to connect the Anne Arundel and Prince George's County sections of the WB&A trail made progress. Anne Arundel County will offer a grant in August for construction. (WashCycle)

Employees at the high attitude flight control center in Leesburg evacuated when fumes from roof work nearby entered the control center on Monday, and officials had to ground flights in or out of National, Dulles, or BWI. Flights will resume Tuesday. (Post)

For all their talk about disruption, Silicon Valley leaders have done little to progress urban design in the region. Area corporate campuses are still designed around cars and commuters: Apple's new campus has a nearly 1:1 ratio of office space to parking space. (Allison Arieff / NY Times)

If you want a residential parking permit in some parts of Portland, you'll have to pay top dollar. Advocates say charging fair market rate for space is the equitable thing to do. Critics say it's pricing some drivers out. (Joe Douglass / KATU)

After a visually impaired rider accidentally walked into a gap between cars of a new 7000-series train, Metro promised it would retrofit safety chains and ensure new cars were fixed by the end of 2017. Now, changes won't come until mid-2018. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

Capital Bikeshare's quarterly data dump is here, and it's as interesting as ever. Mobility Lab's awesome bike trip visualization tool shows that the second and third most popular routes are from Union Station to F St. and 8th St. NE, respectively. (Adam Russell / Mobility Lab)

Though people are still migrating into DC faster than residents are leaving, the suburbs are experiencing a net loss of residents. This is counter to the national trend of population flowing from urban to suburban areas. (Mike Maciag / DC Policy Center)

After Metro police noticed a man trying to skip fare at Gallery Place, witnesses say the officers pepper sprayed the man while they had him pinned to the ground. Part of the interaction was captured on video by one of the many witnesses. (Christina Sturdivant / DCist)

The Department of Employment Services and American Job Centers are vital but often underused DC services that employers can take advantage of to find candidates for jobs. The DC Policy Center offers four ways that employers can use these systems. (Brian Holland / DC Policy Center)

The man accused of hitting two bicycle officers and a utility worker will remain in jail as he awaits trial. The prosecution alleges that he intentionally hit the victims, while the defense suggests his actions were due to a bad reaction to marijuana. (Keith L. Alexander / Post)

Violent crime for the first half of 2017 is down 26% from the same time last year, including a 33% drop in robberies and a 15% drop in homicides. District officials are optimistic, but say that summers are more difficult to police. (Peter Hermann / Post)

]]>Tue, 27 Jun 2017 12:30:00 +0000Arego Mitchell (Contributor)Breakfast links: Lyft could make transit even more out of reach for the poorhttps://ggwash.org/view/63827/breakfast-links-lyft-could--make-transit-even-more-out-of-reach-for-the-poor
https://ggwash.org/view/63827/breakfast-links-lyft-could--make-transit-even-more-out-of-reach-for-the-poor

Lyft's new shuttle service acts almost exactly like a city bus, but it's not just a tone-deaf Silicon Valley idea; it's actually an intentional hit to public transit and the underprivileged residents who depend on it. (Will Oremus / Slate)

In Portland, like in other markets, an acre of land costs more if a developer intends to build an apartment building than if a developer intends to build a single family home, but this “downzoning” just redistributes the expense to other lots. (Joe Cortright / City Observatory)

Sure, on-time performance could be a lot better and fares are going up while hours are being cut back, but is Metro really the worst transit system in the world? This author thinks so. (Jason Russell / Washington Examiner)

Now that SafeTrack is over, Metro is fielding requests to extend service hours for a cool $100,000 per hour, plus costs. Plus, it has to know far enough in advance to reschedule any maintenance. (Sara Gilgore / WBJ)

Two years after Charnice Milton, a journalist, was killed in a drive-by shooting, Anacostia residents have collected hundreds of books and hope to open a bookstore in her name. Residents are also crowdfunding for a memorial mural. (Christina Sturdivant / DCist)

Northern Virginia murder being investigated as a road rage incident

Nabra Hassanen, a 16-year-old girl from Reston, was murdered this weekend in what police are saying was a road-rage incident. Fairfax County police have stated they are not investigating it as a hate crime, though Hassanen was Muslim.

The next time you see a slip of paper under your windshield wipers, it may not be a real parking ticket. The Metropolitan Police is watching for cars with valuables on display, then issuing the fake warnings as a reminder. (Jason Tidd / Washington Times)

A parking enforcement officer in Toronto has been assigned to patrol the city's bike lane and ticket drivers who invade them. Officer Kyle Ashley also maintains a popular Twitter presence. (David Rider / The Star)

Long-time Cleveland Park restaurant Nam-Viet is closing in less than a week, and Ripple is poised to do the same a day before. Is restaurant life on the decline in the northwest neighborhood? (Laura Hayes / City Paper)

DC will need to build almost 128,000 new apartments by 2030 to meet projected demand, according to a new study. That's about 9,140 new units per year between now and then; over the past 6 years, we've averaged about 7,200 units per year. (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)

Construction of the streetcar extension down Benning Road and into Ward 7 could be delayed by several years if cuts to the mayor's proposed budget are approved by the DC City Council on Tuesday. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

Metro's pilot program to discourage people from evading their fare by using swinging gates is expanding to 20 stations. The agency hopes magnetic locks and alarms discourage use of the gates. Fare evasion costs Metro about $20 million per year. (Christina Sturdivant / DCist)

Metro is pumping easy listening music through the PA system at two stations in the hopes of boosting riders' spirits. The reaction has been mixed, but mostly it seems like people just want service to improve. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

Tuesday is set to be hotter and more humid than Monday, and the city is warning residents to keep as cool as possible. You can call 202-399-7093 or 311 to request shelter for those in need of it. (Rachel Sadon / DCist)

36-year-old Dan Hanegby died after being struck by a bus on Monday, becoming Citi Bike's first fatality and the second bike share fatality in the US since 2010. Citi Bike has logged more than 43 million rides since opening in 2013. (NY Post. Tip: movement)

Madrid has posted signs on its buses warning against manspreading, after a successful campaign by a women's group, Mujeres en Lucha. There are no consequences for disobeying, but the transit authority says the signs have been well received. (Amy B Wang / Post)

DC's 2018 budget includes $150,000 to review the Metropolitan Police Department's response to inauguration protests in January. The American Civil Liberties Union of DC has previously said it suspects MPD violated some of the protestor's rights. (Rachel Kurzius / DCist)

Virginia has joined the U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of state governments that are committing to the Paris Accords. DC Mayor Bowser has pledged her support to the accords. President Trump announced the US was leaving the climate change agreement last week. (Post)

Businesses should pay attention to cycling because it could affect their profits. When employees bike more, it could lead to cheaper health insurance and paying less for parking and maintenance of parking lots. (Shawn Chessell / MobilityLab)

Convenience store enthusiasts rejoice: Wawa could open its first DC store as soon as December. Contractors are being asked to bid on a 116-day schedule, which would put the opening at the end of the year. (Michael Neibauer / WBJ)